Having just completed the SD79 Meet and Eat seminar on Reconciliation last week, and having had the weekend to read through a new reconciliation textbook called, Speaking Our Truth (along with the associated Teachers’ Resource Guide), I have taken another dive into the depths of thinking about reconciliation as an educational outcome within the new BC curriculum. I am very fortunate to have a neighbor and friend who is an elder and residential school survivor of the Mission Residential School who is willing to dialogue with me about his experiences and perspectives. I read the book over the weekend and then sat down with him over coffee today to discuss the material presented in the book. Before sharing his insights, I would like to offer my own reflections about the book. The book is written from an indigenous perspective by Monique Gray Smith, and is framed through the 7 sacred teachings of honesty, truth, respect, humility, love, wisdom and courage/bravery. The author’s intention is to use these teachings as the container through which children explore this dimension of our history. First, I would like to say that the layout, imagery and primary source materials shown throughout the book provide learners with a wide range of perspectives on the history of colonization and residential schools in Canada. It provides a collection of primary and secondary source material that learners can use to explore the topic. I found the book very informative and I learned some things that I did not yet know...which is important, seeing as I may use this text in my teaching at some point. There are a number of very powerful quotes from important historical and contemporary political figures that showcase the ‘then and now’ thinking related to colonization, systemic racism, residential schools, the Indian Act and the impacts of all of these on indigenous communities today. Some of these figures include John A. MacDonald, Dr. Bryce, Justice Murray Sinclair and Chief Robert Joseph. As an educator learning about this topic, I wonder how much to share of the story so as not to re-traumatize any intergenerational survivors. The text is open and honest about the atrocities that occurred, and simplifies complex concepts such as internalized racism and cultural genocide using language that children can understand. There is no sugar coating here. I was moved to see the term ‘cultural genocide’ defined and discussed in the first few pages in the chapter on honesty. Sensitive information about the abuses perpetrated at the schools; atrocities such as physical, emotional, verbal and sexual abuse, punishment by electric chair, nutritional deprivation, and forced sterilization are described in the text. After presenting the truth of what happened, the text goes on to a chapter on ‘Love’, which explores what reconciliation means from different perspectives, both young and old. The activities of the TRC are discussed and reflections from young learners and elders are shared. There is an emphasis on reconciliation through relationships and dialogue. In the last chapter, the focus is on taking action in meaningful ways that help to heal, not to hurt. The book ends with a summary of reconciliation projects and initiatives. This book also comes with a Teachers’ Resource Guide written by Tasha Henry that is full of very engaging lesson ideas for each chapter. Some of the highlights of the guide include the development of essential questions for almost all the learning activites, a ‘learning grid’ that maps out learning activities according to the FPPL, and suggestions for digital , print and art resources that showcase contemporary indigenous voices and perspectives. The essential questions, ones such as, “why do we need to go on a journey of reconciliation”?, “what attitudes do we need to go on this journey?”, and “what attitudes are not welcome on this journey?”; are profound for students to explore, and helpful for educators to use in their own learning and inquiry into reconciliation. When listening to my elder friend Hegus, I heard another perspective on the topic of reconciliation. He said the book should say that there was a ‘genocide’, not a ‘cultural genocide’, because many indigenous people died and continue to die as a result of colonization. He also says that the genocide that occurred began at contact on the west coast and has continued until today through illness, suicide and addictions resulting in loss of life of indigenous people. He agreed with the facts that were presented in the chapter on ‘Honesty’, however, he said, “its just words on a paper and everything that has been happening to us just keeps happening in a different form”. He is speaking mainly of the refusal of the Canadian government to recognize indigenous rights and title and the impacts this has on indigenous communities. I remember hearing an educator at the workshop say that she would like to see the School District generate a ‘list’ of residential school survivor speakers who are ‘past the blaming and pointing fingers’. My question to her, (retrospectively) would be, ‘is continuing to voice resistance against the ongoing oppression of indigenous people in Canada something that indigenous people need to ‘get over’?... What attitude does her statement actually convey? It is because of attending this workshop and reading this text that I begin again in my personal quest to reconcile myself and my own history with that of my indigenous neighbors. In my opinion, this text and teachers’ guide provides the accurate history of Canada’s colonization process and residential schools to young learners in a manner that is honest and truthful while moving learners toward meaningful action. This is an excellent resource for a social justice/socials/history unit at an intermediate level. Image Attribution, CCO on Pixabay
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Images by Julia Wishart, purchased on Teachers Pay Teachers I am offering a critical reflection about a Program that I have used in different roles and settings – as a Family Support Worker running small social skills groups with children in Nanaimo schools in 2015; during my 5th year grade 1 practicum in 2016; and again over the summer of 2016 while supporting an 8 year old boy in foster care.
The Zones of Regulation is an evidence-based framework to foster self-regulation and emotional control. 'The Zones' as they are commonly referred to, have been developed by Leah Kuypers (www.zonesofregulation.com) as part of her MA in Education and work with children with Autism. 'The Zones' Program is based primarily on evidence that is backed up by cognitive behavioural science. There are a number of research projects currently in progress that are exploring the impact of 'the Zones'. There are many ways to engage with 'the Zones'; on Facebook, through their mobile app, by buying the manual and posters, and through their online webinars and training sessions. The first thing I want to say is that I love 'the Zones' because they align so well with my credo and guiding principles! Yes! The great thing about being an educator is I get to select tools that align with my values! I believe in the research that shows that emotional regulation is a pre-cursor to cognitive function. This means that children learn best when they are in control of their thoughts and emotions, and don't learn at all if they are dysregulated by strong feelings of anger, sadness or fear. This is not just common sense, it is reflected in the research. So what are the Zones? In a nutshell, 'the Zones' are a method of categorizing emotional and cognitive states into 4 categories. The Zones teaches that all feelings are normal and ok, and that we can develop the ability to control our feelings and move between zones. Here is a screenshot of one of the posters that is used to teach the 'zones' to children in schools. I have used this poster in small group work with primary students, with a whole grade 1 class and with an individual child. The Zones Program can be implemented at the district, school or classroom levels, and the creators believe it works best when the whole school is engaged in the Zones. The Program also encompasses cognitive tools and strategies for moving between zones. There are many videos on YouTube that show the Zones in use on a school wide level. One of the things that has struck me the most about using the Zones and zones language with children, is the ease with which they understand the zones, and the immediacy with which they start using the zones language. Embracing all feelings as normal and ok empowers children to feel accepted even when they are dysregulated. This helps them feel safe enough to identify and express their feelings through using the Zones language. Teaching the strategies for moving between the Zones empowers children to be in control of their thoughts and feelings. I believe that the Zones help children develop self awareness and emotional intelligence, which in turn supports their mental health. How have I used the 'Zones'? During my practicum in a Grade 1 class, I found that the children often came in from outside recess dysregulated and unable to regulate themselves for learning. When I realized that I did not yet have the credibility or trust with the children to intervene appropriately, I asked my sponsor teacher if I could implement the Zones as part of my classroom management strategy. She was familiar with the Program and had used it before. I created a Zones chart with a cup for each zone and a name stick for each learner. In the mornings when the children came into class they put their name sticks into one of the zones and I checked in with the children as a group, often focusing on those who had put themselves in the blue, yellow or red zones. We would problem-solve together how to support each learner to get into the green zone. I found that this helped 'gather' the students at the beginning of the day and built a sense of empathy in the classroom. This only took about 5 minutes of time and I found it to be a very powerful way to communicate care and concern for all students. I also used the Zones language during transition times between recess and learning time. I knelt at the classroom door, made eye contact and asked each learner what zone they were in as they came in from recess. Learners in the Green Zone entered the classroom while learners in the yellow or red zones (I rarely had blue zone when they came in from recess), stepped to the side so I could discuss what had happened. I found this to be a very effective classroom management tool because I was able to quickly identify who was coming in the door dysregulated. Often, telling the story and being heard helped diffuse the feelings and the child was able to get into the green zone very quickly. Some children who needed more attention from me would change the location of their name stick or come up to me and tell me that they were going into the yellow or red zone. For me this was a miracle! Imagine a 6 year old child with low impulse control being able to stop and identify their feeling state before choosing an action! On a few occasions I experimented with the 'zones' language to let the learners know how I was feeling. I said, 'I'm starting to feel frustrated because of the noise level. I feel like I might be going into the Yellow Zone". I found this grabbed the children's attention so that I could model a strategy such as taking a few deep breaths. The children really seemed to be fascinated by my use of the Zones and it helped bring the noise level down. I truly believe that they did this out of a sense of empathy for me rather than to make me happy or because I am an authority figure. Demonstrating my own use of 'the Zones' is another way I bring the Zones into a social context, which I believe starts to create a classroom culture based on empathy and compassion for others, which is a core value for me as a teacher. I could go on and tell more Zones stories, but I think I have illustrated how even a simple use of 'the Zones' can bring about profound changes in the classroom. 'The Zones' seems to be in common use throughout the Nanaimo School District, as I observed when I worked in many different Nanaimo schools as an EA. I strongly recommend to any educator to take a closer look at the Zones and find out how the Program can support you and your students to become more emotionally intelligent, compassionate and regulated learners. I would like to share how my philosophy of practice is developing and changing as a result of what I am learning in EDPB 530/531.
As an educator and as a human being, I find my soul rooted in Principle 14 of the Earth Charter, "to integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values and skills needed for a sustainable way of life" (earthcharter.org). I am also influenced by the work of Richard Louv, David Sobel and other eco-pedagogues, who call upon educators to address the impacts of nature deficit disorder on our young. If eco-pedagogies are the roots of my philosophy, then technology is the budding new growth. It has taken a full turn of the seasons for me to see the new growth that technology has to offer. In terms of technology, I am interested in any technological tool that facilitates, enhances or deepens ecological learning. A quick google search of the terms 'eco tech', 'enviro tech' and 'green tech' reveals a variety of emerging and connected fields within sustainable engineering and applied science. I appreciate the fundamental premise that environmental technologies include methods of designing future societies within ecological frames (EcoTechnics '95 - International Symposium on Ecological Engineering). This suggests that, within an 'ecotech' framework, biodiversity and conservation are primary concerns of human development. In other words, any use of technology that threatens biodiversity and conservation of natural systems is not 'ecotech'. For example, a tool such as a drone may be used to learn about and conserve biodiversity (sustainability), or it may be used to survey a piece of rainforest to map out a new palm plantation (destruction of earth's resources). While I believe that it is of utmost importance that our young learners are provided with the opportunity to learn how to use and perhaps even design the technological tools of the future, we must guide them to do so within a context of sustainability. An essential question to guide this learning could be, "How can this technology be used to sustain the earth?" or for younger learners, "How can we use this tool to help the earth?" Given the importance of engaging young learners in stewarding our precious earth for future generations, I choose to embrace the use of technologies in my nature-based, place-based teaching practice. It is my belief that the use of technologies in the classroom should support the fundamental tenets of the Earth Charter. One of the challenges that teachers face in integrating new technologies into their practice is access (cost) and training on how to use the technologies. I would like to continue exploring and discussing emerging technologies in education as I move forward as an educator. Image Attribution, CCO on Pixabay When I reflect on my first experience of EDPB 530, I see myself as a little black fly that came buzzing into class, then became suddenly entangled up in the spider's web with no way out! I was dazed and confused as I struggled with the new material. I did everything I could to get away from the web, but it did not work. The web and I were brought together for a purpose.
I don't quite remember what happened next because it was all quite traumatic, but I think I got eaten alive by the Mother Spider and my DNA was reorganized so I could start fresh as one of a new generation of baby spiders. (notice I did not make Avi the mean, trap-setting spider in this metaphor - extra XP?). So now here I am... ...a new baby spider, ready to learn, and equipped with the ability to maneuver around on the web, with a goal to one day create it. As I begin anew, my goal is to become a 'techno Mother Spider', a being capable of utilizing and creating the ever-emerging web of digital technologies to nourish the growth of the learners in my care. Thank You for reading this reflection, Heather (baby techno spider) As a nature-lover with 'technology avoidance disorder' (the kind that means I would rather be in the garden than in front of a device), I have chosen to bridge the techno gap within myself by exploring technologies that could be applied to nature-based learning. As we jump into EDPB531, I find myself shopping around on the web for new ideas that may inspire my direction for the Ed Expo. One new technology that has really grabbed my attention are UAV's (unmanned aerial vehicles), AKA 'drones'. The learning possibilities they present are endless! As I searched for information, I wondered...
I discovered that drones are here to stay and will become a multi-billion dollar industry by 2025. For that reason alone, they must be integrated into education as a new technology. However, there are a multitude of applications for using drones across the curriculum, as outlined below in my Top 10 Uses of Drones in Education; 1) Drones for Photography
10) Drones for Social Studies and Social and Emotional Learning
The challenges associated with the use of drones in education appear to be related to safety, privacy and cost. As drone technology becomes more integrated into industry, drones and drone-building kits will become more cost-effective. It is my opinion that drone technology will continue to develop as an important educational tool in our classrooms. A small high school in New Brunswick is the first school in Canada to teach a class in 'dronography' as shown by CTV in this video: To prepare this blog post, I watched the 5 SET-BC videos on the use of drones in education, selected 7 blogs and articles online to review, and read reviews of the book,
Drones in Education. References Set BC. Drones in Education [website]. Retrieved from https://www.setbc.org/2017/05/drones-in-education/#1447961452046-df7cf0f2-b4ed Cenejac, Jovana (May 3, 2017) 5 Ways to Use Drones in the Classroom: Cherishing Students' Passion for Technology [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/drones-in-the-classroom-5-ways-cherishing-students-passion-technology. Lafuente Lopez, Leticia (March 9, 2016) Technology, Programing and Robotics for Kids in Spain [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/teaching-technology-programming-and-robotics-for-kids-in-spain Wolpert-Gawron, Heather (November 12, 2015) Drones Can Be Fun - and Educational [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/7-ways-use-drones-classroom-heather-wolpert-gawron Nix, Naomi (Aug 18, 2017) The Value of Bringing Drones to the Classroom [Online Article from the Atlantic]. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/08/the-value-of-bringing-drones-to-the-classroom/537150/ Edventures (Jan 10, 2018) The Positive Effects of Elementary Drone Racing [website]. Retrieved from https://edventures.com/blogs/stempower/the-positive-effects-of-elementary-drone-racing Levy, Leah (October 27, 2015) . What Drones Can Teach Students [website]. Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/drones-classroom-can-happen/ |
Video by Sephelonor on Pixabay, CCO
Heather Fisher
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